One key measure of community health outcomes is Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL). This measures the lost potential from premature deaths, in this case, those that occur before age 75. YPLL is measured as the number of years lost per 100,000 in population, with a higher number indicating more years lost to premature death. The YPLL numbers are highest in the most urban counties (Wyandotte and Jackson) and the most rural (Allen and Ray). Since 2010-2012, YPLL has remained fairly constant at both the state level and the county level with modest increases and decreases from county to county. However, the three most rural counties, Allen, Lafayette and Ray, have seen substantial increases in YPLL of from 7.5 percent to 15 percent.
Infant mortality rates, as represented by "conditions originating in the perinatal period," declined in most counties between 2006–2010 and 2011–2015. (Because of the small numbers, five-year periods are used to calculate more reliable rates.) Both Missouri and Kansas saw infant mortality rates decline and Jackson County saw a significant decline.
The two most prominent causes of death in the Kansas City region continue to be heart disease and cancer. Heart disease death rates declined in every county from 2003 to 2015, although the changes are mixed between 2014 to 2015. Cancer death rates generally declined between 2003 and 2015, except in Miami and Ray counties.
From 2003 to 2015, the death rates per 100,000 population declined for most counties in the Kansas City region for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. All counties saw a decline in heart disease death rates. The rates for deaths from Alzheimer's were mixed while deaths from suicide increased in all but one county.
Leading Causes of Death: Deaths per 100,000 Population
Cancer | Heart Disease | Stroke | |||||||
2003 | 2014 | 2015 | 2003 | 2014 | 2015 | 2003 | 2014 | 2015 | |
Allen | 345.1 | 195.7 | 144.8 | 553.7 | 194.0 | 238.9 | 86.3 | 23.0 | 30.9 |
Johnson | 139.4 | 134.9 | 128.6 | 132.2 | 109.0 | 111.4 | 39.5 | 32.1 | 33.5 |
Leavenworth | 167.7 | 187.6 | 184.5 | 219.4 | 145.4 | 155.7 | 41.9 | 24.3 | 34.0 |
Miami | 140.5 | 185.1 | 200.5 | 304.9 | 204.3 | 220.2 | 44.5 | 33.0 | 25.5 |
Wyandotte | 232.3 | 209.4 | 197.8 | 224.7 | 167.7 | 155.3 | 62.4 | 47.9 | 47.5 |
Cass | 192.9 | 184.7 | 159.2 | 222.2 | 155.9 | 147.1 | 60.5 | 37.9 | 37.9 |
Clay | 199.2 | 171.0 | 171.2 | 203.7 | 148.5 | 156.0 | 47.8 | 39.0 | 37.5 |
Jackson | 194.6 | 180.0 | 175.8 | 238.2 | 181.7 | 187.0 | 52.2 | 40.0 | 38.1 |
Lafayette | 213.2 | 192.7 | * | 305.3 | 254.9 | * | 55.2 | 37.7 | * |
Platte | 178.3 | 148.3 | * | 214.9 | 127.8 | * | 30.0 | 34.2 | * |
Ray | 191.7 | 198.1 | * | 286.6 | 203.2 | * | 29.1 | 36.1 | * |
*Insufficent data
Leading Causes of Death: Deaths per 100,000 Population
Alzheimer's | Diabetes | Suicide | |||||||
2003 | 2014 | 2015 | 2003 | 2014 | 2015 | 2003 | 2014 | 2015 | |
Allen | 64.7 | 20.1 | 24.0 | 57.5 | 23.0 | 29.9 | * | 27.5 | 5.7 |
Johnson | 27.3 | 17.1 | 18.4 | 13.2 | 9.9 | 8.3 | 10.7 | 13.3 | 13.8 |
Leavenworth | 25.2 | 19.3 | 36.7 | 26.6 | 17.7 | 15.6 | 9.8 | 20.7 | 17.0 |
Miami | 24.0 | 37.0 | 25.4 | 10.3 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 13.7 | 14.4 | 23.2 |
Wyandotte | 27.4 | 22.7 | 23.3 | 29.3 | 32.8 | 38.0 | 17.8 | 16.2 | 16.6 |
Cass | 21.4 | 25.5 | 16.7 | 33.4 | 15.5 | 17.3 | 12.5 | 19.1 | 21.4 |
Clay | 29.1 | 24.4 | 35.4 | 27.4 | 21.9 | 14.0 | 10.2 | 16.0 | 23.7 |
Jackson | 25.8 | 27.8 | 23.7 | 27.7 | 22.4 | 20.6 | 13.4 | 15.3 | 17.6 |
Lafayette | 15.9 | 32.8 | * | 31.0 | 4.6 | * | 10.3 | 15.5 | * |
Platte | 32.5 | 30.1 | * | 17.5 | 12.6 | * | 9.8 | 15.4 | * |
Ray | 4.3 | 17.7 | * | 46.8 | 10.2 | * | 4.3 | 8.3 | * |
*Insufficent data
Data is the most current available as of September 2017.
Produced by the Mid-America Regional Council for the REACH Healthcare Foundation | www.marc2.org/healthdata ©